


Perhaps The Closet is Safer Than My Own Brother

by ilovemiax



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Love, But later actual communication because fuck that non communication bullshit, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Lack of Communication, M/M, Past Character Death, Requested fic, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 13:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21302762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovemiax/pseuds/ilovemiax
Summary: After a few months of dating Gavin, Nines wants to take a leap of faith and inform his father and brother of their romantic relationship. However, Nines becomes terrified of Connor after discovering an old case file in which the RK800 killed a same sex Traci couple.
Relationships: Blue-Haired Traci/Blue-Haired Tracis Girlfriend, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 32
Kudos: 260





	Perhaps The Closet is Safer Than My Own Brother

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FriendlyFlower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyFlower/gifts).

> Based on the original prompt: “Nines and Gavin are in a closeted relationship and Nines is contemplating whether or not they should go public with it when Gavin accidentally reveals that Connor, his brother, shot the Tracis, and Nines just becomes a ball filled with anxiety determined to never let anyone, especially not Connor, find out about their relationship in fear of what happened to happen again.”

Turns out that homophic people didn’t just die off or spontaneously combust like Gavin had hoped. That bullshit was still around and as much as Gavin loved to flaunt his rainbows Nines wasn’t exactly the type to flaunt- well, anything. Hell, it took Gavin nearly a year to figure out that Nines was, in fact, a deviant. The point being that Gavin’s current dilemma was his boyfriend’s refusal to publicly acknowledge that they were a couple.

“I just don’t want to,” Nines had simply said, “I’m not ready for that.”

“Okay,” Gavin replied, “Whenever you’re ready.” And that was that. Simple.

Except that it wasn’t simple. Nines didn’t want to come out for one very large reason. He was fucking terrified. He wanted to tell Hank and Connor and scream his and Gavin’s love from the metaphorical rooftops but… he wasn’t sure how receptive they would be. Neither had expressed any sort of opinion on homosexuals- sort of. The only gay person that Nines knew was Gavin and well, Hank wasn’t Gavin’s biggest fan. Neither was Connor.

Nines had run just about every pre-construction on their reaction. Well, every negative pre-construction anyway. If he was going to say something then he had to be prepared for the worst case scenario. And preparing for the worst case was literally what Nines had been built for. He cursed that part of him because no matter how hard he tried, he was never able to shake off the anxiety that came with deviancy and his tendency to always expect the worse.

But, tonight was the night. He was going to sit Hank and Connor down after dinner and tell them that he was dating Gavin. Easier said than done, but he was burning with the desire to show his affection publicly. His family’s approval was the most important so as as long as Hank and Connor we okay, then Nines didn’t care about anyone else. 

“Earth to Nines,” Gavin waved a hand in front of his face, “You still here?”

Nines blinked and looked at his partner, “Of course, detective. While space travel is accessible, it is still extremely expensive and- Ah. That was a figure of speech. You were not talking about literal space travel.”

“I mean that would be fucking cool,” Gavin replied, “but no. We’re stuck on this damn rock while all the rich bastards get to vacation to Pluto or some shit.”

“Mankind has yet to reach Pluto. Nor would Pluto be habitable for a vacation.”

“Yeah but one day.”

“You intend to terraform Pluto?”

“What? No. Nines, stop.” Gavin shook his head, “I just need you to run down to the evidence locker and find that sweater from the Jova-Wells Case. I want to show it to that asshole in interrogation.”

“Is it alright for me to be touching the evidence?” Nines asked, “my name will be on record as retrieving from the locker.”

Nines was unofficially banned from working the Jova-Wells case after he scared a suspect so bad that he shit his pants in the middle of the interrogation and later suffered from a heart attack. He lived, but everyone (mainly Fowler and the prosecutor) agreed that it was better for Nines to take a step back. No one wanted to see the case get thrown out the window.

“You’re just getting evidence Nines, not questioning anyone. You’re technically still on this case.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

\----

Nines wondered why humans could create android but couldn’t create motion activated lights with more accuracy. It took him a few moments of him waving his hands in the air before they flickered on.

Going to the main computer he signed in and found the Jova-Wells evidence. It was easy enough to grab the sweater but something caught the edge of his vision. It was one of Connor’s old cases. Connor didn’t like to talk about his time before the revolution- which was understandable- but it didn’t stop Nines from being curious about it. Sometimes he wondered who Connor was before becoming deviant and an old case was a decent indicator.

He pulled up the old case and ran through the details. It seemed to be a fairly simple case. A client had been strangled to death at the Eden Club at the hands of a blue haired Traci. Hank and Connor were assigned to track down the killer and bring her to justice. Which, at the time, surely meant the decommission of that Traci. Nines wondered if she’d gotten away with the murder. In the back of his mind, he hoped that she did.

Nines continued further into the case and his heart suddenly clenched. The Traci hasn’t gotten away. She’d committed suicide… but why? He pulled up Hank’s report and suddenly he was bubbling with fear.  _ Connor had shot and killed the blue-haired Traci’s lover.  _ Then, out of anguish, the other had killed herself.

He shut the case file and logged out. There was no way in hell he was going to come out now. Not after that. Connor had shot them for being in love. If he could do that and not bat an eye, then what did that mean for him and Gavin? The pre-constructions began to run in his head as he went up the stairs and handed the evidence to Gavin.

Fuck.

\----

“You were quiet at dinner,” Hank commented as he and Nines did the dishes.

“I am always quiet,” Nines answered trying not to sound too defensive.

Hank mummed his acknowledgment, “I know, but you do talk and pitch in on conversations. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Nines replied hoping that he didn’t sound too hasty.

No such luck because Hank turned off the water and looked at Nines. “I’m not buying that, kid. I know you well enough to know when you’ve got something in that noggin of yours.”

“It’s  _ nothing _ ,” Nines insisted, “I’m just low on battery today.”

Hank frowned, “If you’re low then go and charge. If you were feeling like that, then you need to say something. Don’t let it just sit inside. Bottling things up isn’t good. Fuck, I would know.” Nines had to admit that ever since Hank started seeing his psychiatrist, things had been looking up. He was a more optimistic person and had become and even greater father.

“I’m going to go charge then,” Nines mumbled softly. His heart clenched with the idea of Hank sharing the same view as Connor. The report itself was objective so it wasn’t a real indicator of what Hank’s view on homosexulaity was but… the idea that Hank would approve was terrifying enough for him to keep his mouth shut.

Nines set down his drying towel and headed for his and Connor’s room. Inside, he could hear his brother playing some video game with calming music. Upon entering, he discovered it was just Minecraft. He didn’t understand why Connor liked it so much.

“You’re on my bed,” he said flatly.

Connor didn’t bother to move to even glance in Nines’ direction, “I can see the TV better.”

“So move the TV,” Nines replied. He plopped down on the bed forcibly trying to wiggle Connor off the bed and discourage further invasion of space.

“That’s too much work,” Connor grunted and pushed back.

“It’s  _ my  _ bed.”

“Just use mine.”

“ _ Your  _ bed is not  _ my  _ bed.”

“It’s the same bed.” Technically, it was. But Nines had no intention of sleeping in Connor’s bed when he could easily sleep in his own. And be more comfortable.

“No it isn’t.” Nines scowled and kicked Connor. “Move.”

“Make me, feather bones,” Connor challenged.

“I’m stronger than you,” Nines snipped back.

“I’m heavier,” came the retort. While it was true that Nines programmed to be stronger than the RK800, he was also made to be a lightweight model. Which meant that despite being stronger, Connor’s sheer body weight was closer to 250lbs. Nines could only lift about 200lbs and trying to push his brother off the bed was going to prove futile.

Nines kicked Connor with all his might. The other barely budged. “ _ Move,  _ dumbass!”

“No.” The RK800 smirked and continued playing his game like he wasn’t at all bothered.

“SUMO!” Nines shouted, “Help me move Connor!”

Almost immediately, a massive fur ball came barreling into the room and bouncing directly into Connor. The android was successfully knocked to the ground with Sumo making himself comfortable atop Connor.

“Arck!” Connor cried out as the controller fell out of his hand, “Sumo, you traitor.”

“He’s not a traitor,” Nines grinned and burrowed into his bed, “he knows you were being an asshole. Good boy, Sumo.”

Sumo blinked at Nines as if agreeing, “Boof!”

The sense of normality and their brotherly relationship quelled a little of Nines’ anxiety, but once the moment was over, anxiety reared its ugly head back at Nines. Connor didn’t seem to notice and went back to his bed, sulking with his loss of comfort.

Hank chose that moment to poke his head into the room. “Lights out.”

“But-”

“No buts, Nines is low on energy and besides it is late.”

_ “Fine. _ ” Connor switched off the game and crawled into his own bed grumpily. He waited until he was certain that Hank was in his own room before addressing the elephant in the room. That elephant being Nines very obvious lie. Connor could tell his brother wasn’t low on energy (a simple scan told him that) and he’d been acting weird all day. He figured it had to do something about the case. Or Gavin. Or both.

“What’s wrong?” He dared to ask.

Nines shifted under his covers and didn’t reply.

“Don’t ignore me asshole, what’s wrong with you?”

“What wrong with me?” Nines growled back, “What’s wrong with you?”

Genuinely confused, Connor tried to establish a mental connection with Nines only to be harshly pushed back. Harsh, but not in a way that was meant to hurt. From the split second of connection, Connor was able to only feel one emotion. Fear. Nines was… scared. Scared of something. Or maybe it was someone.

“Hey,” Connor dropped his voice and took a different approach. “Look I’m sorry for being an asshole. I just want to know if you’re doing okay.”

There was a long silence and Connor was about to try and ask again when Nines’ voice came out soft and shaky, “It’s nothing.”

“Nines…”

“Why did you kill them?”

“Kill…?” Connor froze. He had no idea who Nines was referring to. He’s had to shoot people in the line of duty before but… was Nines having a moral crisis? “Nines, I’m confused.”

“The Tracis,” Nines clarified, his voice still shaking. “Why did you shoot them?”

Connor’s mind flashed back to one of his first cases. The Tracis from the Eden Club. When had Nines seen that file? Or did someone tell him about it. It wasn’t one of Connor’s proudest moments and he thought he’d buried that case file.

“I-” Connor hesitated, “I know it’s not much but… I wasn’t deviant then. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“All they wanted was to be together. They were in love.” Nines still wasn’t facing Connor and his voice was thick with emotion. 

Connor was at a loss for words. “I don’t know what to say,” he admitted, “I killed them and that was wrong and I… I can only live with that.”

Nines sat up and looked at Connor with his piercing gray eyes. There was so much going on behind his eyes that it stunned Connor. There was so much anger and fear and sadness to them that Connor felt guilty. Guilty that his brother was looking at him in such a way. 

“Is that so wrong? For two people- two women- to love each other? What if they were two male Tracis? Why did they have to die? Would they have lived if it was a male and a female? Would you still have shot them?”

Connor’s stomach dropped and he felt sick. It didn’t take much for him to put the pieces together. Without meaning to, Connor was one hundred percent certain that Nines was indicating his interest in someone of the same gender. And he thought… Oh rA9, Nines must have thought the worst and Connor didn’t blame him.

“It was never about that,” Connor answered wondering if the answer would be in any way reassuring to his younger brother, “Back then, I would have shot them no matter who they were. Their love- being in love- gay or not, the Machine version of me would have shot them.”

The answer, as morbid as it was caused Nines to look away and his shoulders to slightly droop.

“Okay.” Nines lay down and flipped back over with his back to Connor.

The tension in the air remained thick and Connor knew he had to say something. “Nines,” he began slowly, “it’s okay for you to like boys. I won’t judge.”

“You won’t shoot me?” Nines’ voice was bitter.

“I would take it back if I could,” Connor assured, “I did try to bring them back after the revolution. But… it didn’t work. Too much time had passed and there was nothing more I could do.”

Nines remained silent. He debated on whether or not he should say something. He’d been scanning Connor the entire time and knew that the other android was telling the truth. But even still, the nerves were still there. Was he even ready to come out? Well, he supposed it didn’t matter anymore. Connor had more or less figured it out.

“I’m dating Gavin,” He finally ended up saying.

“Does he make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m happy for you.”

Nines flipped back over to see Connor looking at him with a small smile. “You’re not going to shoot him?”

Connor shrugged, “I will if he hurts you. But I figure that you know how to handle yourself so, I’ll put a bullet in him after you do.”

Relieved Nines cracked a tiny smile. “It’s not really bullets I shoot into Gavin.”

_ “Nines!”  _ Connor gasped, scandalized. He couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped him. A second later, Nines was laughing too.

The door swung open. “I thought you two numbskulls were sleeping.” Hank scolded.

“Uh sorry,” Connor apologized, “we were just talking.”

“Uh-huh, about what?”

“Nothi-” Connor started but was cut off.

“I’m gay,” Nines blurted out before his nerves got the best of him.

Without missing a beat, Hank turned to Nines and replied, “Hi Gay, I’m Dad. Connor, Gay, go the fuck to bed already.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was a million years late in the writing and for that I apologize. More fic reqs are on the horizon.


End file.
